China trade official goes to Washington on tires case

Source: Reuters


BEIJING (Reuters) - China is sending a vice minister of trade to Washington to lobby U.S. administration officials against imposing duties on Chinese-made tires, the Ministry of Commerce said on Monday.
The Obama administration has until September to decide whether to levy duties up to 55 percent, in the first of a growing list of trade issues with China.

Chinese vice commerce minister Zhong Shan will argue that slapping duties on Chinese exports would raise costs for U.S. auto manufacturers and consumers. He will meet with U.S. departments including State, Treasury, Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative.

The duties, recommended by the U.S. International Trade Commission in late June, could reach up to 55 percent in the first year, 45 percent in the second year and 35 percent in the third year.

The petition to restrict tire imports came from the United Steelworkers union, which argues that the tire imports are destroying U.S. industry. The Steelworkers represent 15,000 workers employed at 13 plants in nine U.S. states that together account for nearly half of U.S. tire production.


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE57G10K20090817

pay back the national debt. Without jobs to generate the taxes the US needs, nothing will get paid back. That includes Congress' wages, so they need to be thinking about more than next week's payday too.